Retailers: Are you making it easy for retail customers to buy?

Last week, I was traveling on behalf of a retail client and forgot to bring the car charger for my wireless phone.  So shortly after landing at my destination I went in search of a local wireless store to assist me.  Within 2 miles of the airport I found a wireless dealer that was affiliated with one of the top 4 wireless carriers and went into the store hoping to make a quick purchase so I could be on my way. 

Now I have worked in and around the wireless and consumer electronics industry for over twenty years so not only do I know how important it is that they increase the sales of accessories, but I also knew exactly what I needed to purchase.  So you would think that the retailer would have made my purchase and easy one. 

Unfortunately, upon entering the store I found that there were two sales associates working and that there were 4 customers in the store.  Since nobody even acknowledged my presence, I set off on trying to find my product by myself.  The retail store’s accessory products were not organized in a logical fashion and it took me almost 10 minutes to locate the product I needed.  Once I found it, the product was not priced, so what do you think I did?

That’s right, I left.  I walked down the sidewalk to a national specialty electronics retailer and purchased the item from them.  In fact, the sales associate at that store was not only pleasant, but asked me to show him my phone so he could verify that he had the right adapter.  When he did this, he noticed that my screen protector was getting worn so he suggested that I invest in a new one that he promptly installed.

The moral of the story is that you need to make it easy for your customers to buy and for you to sell.  Don’t let simple things like making a customer feel welcome, having logically organized displays, and priced product interfere with a quick, easy, and profitable sale that could even lead to a bigger retail sales basket!

Would you like to learn about other ways that you can improve your retail customer service and selling skills?  Let the Retail Advocacy Group and Retail Training Services assist you with implementing a great retail training plan.  Contact us for a free one-hour consultation and needs assessment!